


Keeping It In The Family

by Wolves_of_Innistrad



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexuality, Coming Out, First Kiss, Hen Wins The Bet, Humor, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Pre-Slash, Sexuality Crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:30:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21650827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolves_of_Innistrad/pseuds/Wolves_of_Innistrad
Summary: Prompt:  A young man shows up at the firehouse looking for Buck.  Turns out Javier was a Bartender with Buck in Mexico.  He’s back in LA, looking to reconnect and very flirty.  Cue Eddie realizing Buck is not as straight as he thought.With a twist.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Evan "Buck" Buckley/OMC
Comments: 46
Kudos: 750





	Keeping It In The Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kaitlia777](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaitlia777/gifts).



Everyone’s sitting around the table eating a meal lovingly made by Cap, chatting animatedly. Thankfully it had been a slow day so spirits were high.

  
Eddie turned towards Buck, lowering his glass as he stared at his friend. “Hey Buck I gotta cancel our trip to the zoo. Or well, reschedule.” Eddie gave Buck a sad frown as he clapped him on the shoulder.

  
Buck looked up, mouth half full before swallowing quickly. “Why? Is Chris okay?”

  
Eddie nods. “He’s fine. It’s just my cousin is coming here to help out my Abuela for a little while and she wrangled me into showing him around the city.”

  
Relief washes over Buck’s face and he smiles. “Okay. You guys have fun then. Oh, I’ll text you some clubs you can take him to that are pretty cool.”

  
“Thanks, that’ll be go-” Eddie cuts off when they hear someone downstairs yelling at the same time his own phone goes off.

  
“Hello? Does, um, Evan Buckley work here?” Comes a voice and Cap heads over to the railing as Eddie takes his call and turns away from the group.

  
“Who’s asking?” Bobby asks, but before the other guy can answer Buck has come over and his eyes go wide.

  
“JAVI?!”

  
“Buck!”

  
Buck runs down the steps and hugs the man, lifting him up and swinging him around, both men laughing like children as the rest of the 118, sans Eddie who is speaking in hushed tones to his Abuela, come over to watch.

  
“What are you doing here Javi? God it’s been, five, six years?” Buck’s staring at Javi with a look no one has seen him give anyone except Eddie.

  
Javi ducks his head, smiling and putting a hand on Buck’s arm. “Came to see my Abuela and well, I thought I’m in the states I’d look you up and to my surprise you seemed to be here. A firefighter, really?”

  
Buck honest to god blushes and Hen and Chim are staring wide eyed at them, Hen glancing towards Eddie who is still sitting at the table on the phone.

  
“Yeah, firefighter. Big step up from bartender huh?” Buck’s smile is blinding, his hands haven’t left Javi’s body since they first hugged, sliding down to his arms and gripping like he might float away.

  
Javi smirks, punching Buck on the arm playfully. “Always knew you were meant for bigger things. Besides, you always were my hero. Remember when…” Javi leans in to whisper something to Buck that the rest of the 118 can’t hear, but by the way Buck turns so red that even his ears have pinked it’s obviously meant just for them.

  
After a moment of more whispered talking and giggling Buck turns to the 118 with a huge smile. “Hey guys uh, meet Javi! He’s one of my best friends from when I was bartending in Mexico!” Javi is practically hanging off Buck as they walk side by side up the steps towards everyone else.

  
“Nice to meet you,” rings out from a chorus of people, but it’s Hen that comes up first to shake his hand.

  
“Hi, I’m Hen.”

  
“Dios! You’re gorgeous. You must get all the ladies.” Javi shakes her hand and smirks.

  
Hen smiles back, nodding, “I’ve got a wife already.”

  
“The hot ones really are always taken. Good for her.”

  
“Your boy here is a flirt… I like him.”

  
Buck blushes again at Hen’s comment, shaking his head as he slings an arm around Javi. “Oh he’s always been like that.”

  
“Like you ever minded Evan. Besides, I remember you flirting with just about every person that walked into the bar. There was this one guy that would NOT leave Evan alone, I had to come make out with him just to get the guy to back off.”

  
Buck about chokes, but there’s the hint of a smile on his face too.

  
“It wasn’t exactly the best first kiss. Then again, it wasn’t the last and Evan definitely improved I have to say. I taught him well.” Javi pats Buck on the cheek, a mischievous glint in his eye.

  
Hen, Chim and Bobby’s eyebrows all raise in question at Buck, but before he can say anything Eddie gets off the phone and comes over.

  
“What’s all the… Javier?” Eddie asks, staring at Javi with confusion.

  
Javi turns to Eddie and his eyes bulge. “Edmundo!? Abuela said you were a fireman but I didn’t think you would be here.”

  
Eddie’s brow scrunches in confusion. “If you aren’t here to see me then why…” he trails off as he stares at how his cousin is draped over Buck like a serape. 

  
“I came to see mi mejor amigo, Evan.” The way Javi says Buck’s full first name makes Eddie’s stomach turn for some reason, as does the way he’s looking at him like he hung the moon and stars.

  
Buck’s staring between them back and forth before it finally clicks in his head. “Wait… Eddie Diaz… Javi Diaz… You’re related!?” The look on his face is precious, pure confusion and panic as he gesticulates wildly between them.

  
Javi laughs, deep and loud as he cuddles closer to Buck. “Si, Edmundo is my cousin.”

  
“Oh, so when Eddie said his cousin was coming to help his Abuela, that was you?”

  
“Si. Finding you was just a bonus.” Javi drags a finger along Buck’s jaw, eyes hooded as he stares at him. 

  
Buck suppresses a shiver, it’s been so long since he’s had someone look at him like that and even in the awkwardness of this situation it’s doing things to him. “I, uh, haha it’s good to see you too...”

  
“Am I missing something?” Eddie asks, voice sounding a bit strangled as his eyes cast over every point of contact between his best friend and his cousin’s body, then towards their assembled coworkers.

  
“Javier here was just telling us all how he and _Evan_ ,” Hen makes sure to stress the use of Buck’s first name, “had to bartend together and how he taught him everything he knows about kissing.”

  
“Hey!” Buck raises a finger in protestation, “he did not teach me everything!”

  
Javi chuckles, chest heaving with laughter as it grows before he squeezes Buck’s bicep. “Si, you are right. You weren’t entirely hopeless. Of course, there were some… Other areas in which you definitely needed some instruction.”

  
Once again Buck flushes and looks down and away, but he’s smiling. “Ok, but that’s only because I’d never been with a guy before Javi. You’d think having the same parts would help, and I mean it does for some things, but I’m not really flexible enough to practice others on myself.”

  
That makes Javi break out in a full belly laugh and Eddie looks like he might throw up.

  
“Wait, so, you’re Bi Buck?” This time it’s Chimney that speaks, staring at Buck. 

  
Hen has her eyes traveling between Buck waiting for his answer and Eddie who looks so lost right now that it's kind of sad.

  
“I was. For a bit, you know, a phase back in college, early 20’s.” Buck is shrugging it off even as he has what’s clearly a former flame hanging off his body and looking at him with sultry eyes.

  
Javi and Hen both give Buck the same look of incredulity before Javi grips Buck’s chin and kisses him softly. That doesn’t last for long though as Buck’s soon leaning into it. It’s only a loud cough from Eddie that makes them break apart.

  
“Still think it’s just a phase?” Javi’s voice is velvet as he smirks up at Buck.

  
Buck’s stares with a vacant expression before a smile covers his lips. “Yeah, okay, definitely still Bi.”

  
“Welcome to the TEAM Buck!” Hen says, loudly laughing as she drags him into a hug. “I knew it.”

  
“You did?” Buck asks, because he’s not sure if he should be concerned he was obvious, and how so, or just relived at the easy acceptance.  
“Yeah, clearly it’s why we get along so well. We’ve got to stick together.”

  
Buck smiles at that, shaking his head. He’s looking around, glad to see everyone smiling and laughing, maybe some playful ribbing but it’s a room full of love and acceptance.   
Except he can’t find Eddie anywhere despite him having just been here.

  
Buck cant dwell on it though because Javi is asking to be formally introduced to everyone and shown around the station, and by the time he leaves, giving Buck his phone number and a peck on the cheek (that’s meant to cover him groping Buck’s ass surreptitiously), the alarm goes off and they have to go out on call.

  
He tries to talk to Eddie, but he’s enveloped in discussing something with Chimney, then they’re on the scene and it’s all business. By the time they get back Eddie’s the first out, undressed and headed off and Buck can’t catch him.

  
Finally Buck decides to go talk to Hen, figuring she might have some answers in her all knowing wisdom.

  
“Hey Hen?” he says, voice small and cautious as he steps around the ambulance where she’s sorting some supplies that need to be restocked.

  
Hen looks up with a kind smile. “Yeah?”

  
“Do you think Eddie is… Weirded out?”

  
Hen frowns. “Weirded out? What do you mean Buckaroo?”

  
“It’s just, every since Javi showed up and he found out I’m bi it feels like he’s ignoring me? Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

  
Hen shakes her head, standing up and coming over to rest a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, none of that. Coming out can be rough for all of us, it’s normal to think the worst and be a bit freaked out. But I’m sure Eddie isn’t weirded out by you liking men.”

  
Buck begins to sigh in relief before Hen continues.

  
“If anything, he’s probably more shocked by you and his cousin having been an item.”

  
That actually makes a lot of sense and Buck considers it for a moment. “So you think he’s just freaked because I had sex with his cousin? Not about me liking guys in general.”

  
“Yeah, let’s go with that.” Hen doesn’t say that he thinks its far more likely Eddie is jealous and maybe doesn’t understand why.

  
“Thanks Hen. You really are the best.”

  
“I know. And Buck?”

  
“Yeah?” Buck turns as he’d started to leave already.

“I’m sure you know your way around a gay bar, but if you ever want a friend for a little night out, I know some great clubs.”

Buck’s eyes light up and he grins. “Oh, I’m so taking you up on that.”

  
“Good, you better.”

  
Eddie isn’t sure why he’s avoiding Buck. He chalks it up to the weirdness of the day. First Javi, Javier his brain corrects, showing up unexpectedly, then him apparently having been, what, a couple? Fuckbuddies? With Eddie’s best friend and he never even knew. Eddie hadn’t even known Buck was attracted to men, although he guesses that isn’t really something Buck was broadcasting.

  
It does make him wonder if maybe he’s not been as accepting as he thinks if Buck hasn’t wanted to share that with him. But Hen didn’t know either so Eddie’s back at square one.

  
He contemplates finding Buck after work, trying to let him know that he’s okay with Buck being Bi. No, that he supports Buck, yeah, that’s what he should say. But he also has to get to his Abuela’s to pick up Chris and take Javier around the city.

  
Of course, when he arrives his Abuela informs him that Javier has already left.

  
“What do you mean he left?”

  
“He said, ‘Abuela, I found him. I can’t believe it I found him again.’”

  
Eddie feels something rotten coil in his stomach but he pushes it away. “Found who?”

  
His Abuela has a soft smile playing at her lips. “He told me once there was a boy, that he’d met in Mexico, he was a gringo like your Buck, but he was good and kind. He was in love with him, but he was too afraid to tell him back then, and eventually the man moved on. I guess he found him again.”

  
It feels like Eddie’s ears rush with blood, his vision going dark for a moment before he shakes himself out of it.

  
“Mijo, are you okay?”

  
“Yeah, I… I just...” He stops for a moment, going back over what she said. “My buck?”

  
“Si, your Buck. He is so cute. And always so good with Christopher, that boy talks about him almost as much as he talks about you.”

  
Eddie steps closer, lips turned down. “But why did you say my Buck?”

  
“Well you and him are...” She pauses, searching his face. “Or you aren’t?”

  
“What do you think me and him are Abuela?”

  
She shrugs. “It’s none of my business, I guess I was mistaken.”

  
“No, tell me please.” Eddie’s voice is a bit shrill, pleading as he steps closer again. He’s drawn in on himself, looking nothing like the confident, stoic man he usually does.

  
She contemplates him for a moment, reaching up and caressing his cheek. “Mijo I just thought, well, that he was your Buck.” She puts more emphasis on the words this time. “Or that at least, you wanted him to be. Like Javier and his boy in Mexico. I just thought you had a bit more sense, and were brave enough, not to let him get away. Isn’t that why he spends so much time with you and Christopher?”

  
Eddie falls back on his heel, body wanting to run and collapse into a chair at the same time, nerves stretched taut at her words. “I...” He stops, throat parched and words failing him in either of his tongues. “So you think I’m… Like that, and you don’t care?”

  
“Like what? A man who likes men? I don’t care that Javier is gay, why would I care who you love? As long as you are happy, as long as Chris is happy, I am happy.”

  
There’s a sound coming from Eddie’s chest like a beating drum, his heart playing staccato rhythms against his rib cage. It feels tight, like that same drum has it’s vellum stretched too taut, like each strike might tear it and his heart will fall out on the floor and need to be wiped up with Fabuloso.

  
He stumbles back towards the chair and it’s in that moment he allows himself to think, to feel the things he’s been suppressing for he doesn’t know how long. It wasn’t so much he was taught it was wrong or bad, but it was not what was expected of him, what he expected from himself. In truth he’d never experienced anything like what he felt for Buck, what he had with Buck. He’d married Shannon, and he’d loved her at one point he had no doubt. Even so, the bond he shared with Buck felt infinitely deeper, whether because they were friends first, not a whirlwind love that he sometimes felt had went too fast. Not a situation where he had to run away across the globe and put himself in danger just to get some peace from his thoughts.

  
Except, maybe he had been running. Every since Shannon, he’d been running so long and so hard, trying not to let it all catch up to him. His demons, his failures, his pain, and most of all his emotions.

  
He’d told Buck that he needed to get over things, to just push it down, lock it away, and he understood now he’d done that, maybe subconsciously at first but assuredly, about his own feelings. He didn’t realize he was attracted to men, to Buck, because he didn’t want to admit it. Didn’t want to let those thoughts catch him unaware, unguarded, for fear what they might bring.

  
He’d been in so much pain, and hiding it for so long, he wasn’t sure how to expose himself like that. To open up and feel again, in case it brought him more pain. Even if it could heal him.

  
Even if he understood now that not having Buck as his best friend, as whatever Buck was that was surely more than that, might finally kill him. Would trap his feet like quicksand, drag him under as sure as a tsunami and leave him gasping for breath.

  
“Mijo, are you okay?” His Abuela asks, the words dragging Eddie back to the moment, the little house, the sound of the fan whirling above head and the wind blowing softly through the screen door.

  
“I think I’m in...” Eddie hesitates, the emotions inside his mind and heart swirl, roil and fight for dominance, but he can’t untangle them just yet. “I want… I Need...” He stumbles over his words, trying to admit this out loud, to his family, to himself, to anyone just to have the words fall off his tongue instead of the searing brand they’re leaving on his heart.

  
“Evan...”

  
“Evan?”

  
“Evan, Buck… I’ve been so stupid. So blind...”

  
She smiles, small and self satisfied, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

  
“Then open your eyes and use that brain of yours. Y tu corazon.” She nods sagely, pressing a palm over his heart before bending to give him a soft kiss on his temple. “Go. Before it’s too late.”

  
Eddie’s already on his way to Buck’s before he even considers his plan of action. Thoughts ricochet inside his mind, formulating and reformulating plans of attack, strategizing, compartmentalizing. It’s what he does best, how he was trained as a soldier, a medic, even back to his childhood the way he was brought up.

  
When he arrives he jumps out of his truck, door left open, keys in the ignition as he barrels up the stairs and towards Buck’s apartment. His heart hammers in his chest in time with his fist on the door. The moment he sees Buck appear upon the threshold all thought, all logic, all sense of self preservation fall away and he’s gripping Buck’s shirt. Handfuls of the material bunched between his fingers as he pushes into the apartment, walking Buck backwards, nearly lifting the stuttering man with wide, wild eyes off the ground as he slams him into the wall.

  
And then he kisses Buck.

  
It’s hard, hot and dry like the deserts of Afghanistan.

  
It warm, bright and soft like a California breeze.

  
It’s wild, boundless and sublime like the Texas sky.

  
And it’s all them, just Eddie and Buck, and it feels right, it feels good, it feels safe.

  
After all the places Eddie’s traveled, the war torn streets, the shattered homes and new horizons, nothing has ever felt as much like home as Buck’s lips, his arms wrapped around him holding him tight.

  
When Eddie finally pulls away, breath coming out in barely suppressed shudders he can’t open his eyes, doesn’t want to. He wants to etch this moment in marble, freeze it in time, a photograph of the heart, mind and body that he’ll never forget. His fingers itch to map out the planes of Buck’s body the same way that his lips felt each groove and valley in Buck’s own. Their foreheads touch and finally, finally Eddie let’s his eyes open, staring into the brilliant blue eyes that had captivated him, that held such kindness and love even as he stared in awe back at Eddie.

  
“Eddie…?” Buck breathes, voice barely a whisper, words ghosting over Eddie’s lips in a gentle caress.

  
“Yeah...” Eddie swallows, locking eyes with Buck once more, desperate to assure himself this wasn’t a mistake, that Buck wanted this just as much as he had.

  
“Your lips are soft.” Buck starts giggling, smile plastered on his face as his fingers dig into Eddie’s hips.

  
And when did that happen? Eddie must have disconnected from his body the kiss was so good. But now that he feels it he groans, then a laugh bubbles up as Buck keeps laughing.

  
“You could use some Chapstick.”

  
Buck gasps, gives Eddie an affronted look. “How dare you!”

  
“Just being honest.”

  
“Why do all the Diaz men I kiss tease me so!” Buck laments, and that makes Eddie growl possessively and drag Buck back into another searing kiss until all thoughts of anyone but him are gone from his mind.

  
The next day when Hen arrives for her shift she sots Eddie and Buck sitting on the couch. It only takes a second for her to notice that as attached at the hip as they normally are, now they’re practically joined at every inch of skin they can reasonably touch while sitting side by side.

  
“Have a good day boys?” She asks, smirking as Eddie and Buck both start blushing and jerk their heads away from where they were clearly both gazing into one another’s eyes.

  
“Very good.” Buck smiles, letting one hand slide down to rest on Eddie’s thigh.

  
“The best.” Eddie sighs, staring at Buck’s face again before one of his hands come up to curl into the short hair of his boyfriend and kiss him.

  
“Finally!” Hen shouts, only for that to alert Chim and Bobby who are just walking in from the other room.

  
“Oh, so this is finally happening?” Chim says, smirking as he watches Eddie and Buck shamelessly making out on the couch.

  
“I’ll go get the paperwork,” Bobby sighs, heading back to his office.

  
“While you’re there collect my money!” Hen calls after Bobby and Chim winces beside her.

  
“I’ll go get my wallet.”

  
“You do that.”

  
Once everyone else is gone Hen makes her way over to the couches, sitting opposite Buck and Eddie and clearing her throat. Then she does it again because they don’t hear her.

  
“Huh?” Buck asks, voice sounding far away and dreamy. Eddie doesn’t even respond, his eyes still closed, lips seeking for Buck’s.

  
It’s stupidly adorable Hen thinks.

  
“So, all it took was you worrying someone else was going to give Buck the Diaz name for you to finally get your head out of your ass Eddie?”

  
Eddie flushes, scratching the back of his neck and laughing awkwardly. “I mean, uh...”

  
Buck chuckles, gripping Eddie’s shirt and pulling him in to kiss his cheek. “No, Eddie’s wanted me for a while. Javi just made it all click into place for him.” Eddie growls again at the mention of his cousin’s name and Buck’s eyes go dark with desire. “God I love when you do that. Jealous Eddie is so hot.”

  
Hen cracks up, shaking her head as she pats them both on the knee. “Well I’m happy for the both of you, and that’s not just because you won me a lot of money by getting together before Christmas.”

  
“You were betting on us?” That’s Eddie asking, eyebrows drawn up.

  
“Have to do something in our downtime.”

  
“Ok, seriously did everyone but _me_ know I was into Buck?”

  
“I didn’t. But I did know I was into you.”

  
“Babe...” Eddie smiles, pecking Buck again, both of them giggling like idiots.

  
“Well, at least 2 out of 3 Diaz men will be excited about this,” Hen says, sweeping a hand between the both of them.

  
“Dios, Christopher is going to lose his mind...” Eddie laughs.

  
Buck gets this blinding smile full of love and hopefulness. “WE can tell him?”

  
“Of course, why wouldn’t we tell him?”

  
“I just...” Buck looks away, picking at some lint on his shirt. “I wasn’t sure you’d want to jump right in and tell him. I mean it’s, it’s new and you might decide you don’t want me, or just, I don’t...”

  
Eddie grips Buck’s face in each hand, holding him so they meet eyes. “I’m certain I want you. I want to be with you, and I want you to be part of my family, our family. _You complete us_.”

  
Buck starts crying and Hen takes that as her cue to leave, ushering a just re-entering Bobby and Chim out of the room as Eddie and Buck cry while making out.  


Javi isn’t happy that his cousin “stole” his potential boyfriend, but he calms down when Maddie introduces him to her good friend Josh. 

  
True to Hen’s prediction Christopher is ecstatic about Eddie and Buck getting together. “Finally,” he breathes, laughing excitedly against them as they hug him.

  
“Finally?” Eddie asks, glancing at Buck.

  
“It was obvious you loved Bucky Daddy, and he loves you and me! So now we can be a family for real.”

  
Eddie looks to Buck, his own lip quivering as he watches Buck burst out in happy tears. Then Eddie is crying and Chris is hugging them as tight as he can as they all pile together on the couch. One big happy family. 

  
Finally.

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure you check out the Buddie Advent fics that are coming out, mine won't be out til later this month but the ones I've read so far are amazing!
> 
> Thanks to all my Wonderful Readers for all the comments, kudos and subs!


End file.
